Bicycle-chain.



No. 628,386. Patented July 4, I899.

' D. R. BERRY &. W. P. BONNELL, .IR.

BICYCLE -GHAlN.

(Application filed Oct. 13, 1898.)

'-No Model.

m: NDRRxS PETERS co.v PHOTO-LITHD.,WASN1NGYON, n. c.

U ITED STATES DAVID ROSS BERRY, OF

HARRISON, NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

AND WILLIAM P. BONNELL, JR, OF

BICYCLE-CHAIN..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,386, dated July 4,1899. Application filed October 13, 1898. Serial No. 693,387. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID Ross BERRY, residing at Harrison, in thecounty of Union, and WILLIAM P. BONNELL, J r., residing at Newark, inthe county of Essex, State of New Jersey, citizens of the United States,have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycle- Chains;and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being badto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of chains for sprocket-wheels, andmore particularly for the sprocket-wheels of bicycles, the links ofwhich are adapted to be dissociated to permit an easy reassem bling ofparts in the event of an injury or breakage of one of the links orpivotal pins thereof, and thus to enable a chain to be quickly repairedshould a breakage occur while the'vehicle to which it is attached is ata distance from a repair-shop, the objects of the present improvementsbeing to obtain and secure a more perfect looking of the links, to avoidthe use of projecting parts such -as will be apt to catch upon thegarment of the rider, to facilitate the work of repairing, and to secureother advantages and results, some of which may be referred tohereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved chain and in the arrangements andcombinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will behereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views,Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan, of a chain havingour improvements. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a set of assembled linkson an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a section of the same, taken on line 00,Fig. 3; and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail side views of certain links, whichwill be hereinafter more fully described. Fig. 7 is a plan of one of thelinks in permanent relation to the studs or pivots.

in said drawings, a a to indicate a series of links or blocks betweenwhich the sprockets of the sprocket-wheels of a bicycle or other deviceare adapted to enter in the operation being concavous, as at a, at theirinner edges and at their opposite ends being perforated to receive theends of the pivotal pins 6 and f. The perforations in the side links I)are of usualform and the studs or pins efare permanently fastenedtherein by reducing the ends of said studs or pins to form the shouldersb and upsetting the projecting ends by any ordinary riveting operationto form the heads b While the stud or pivotf is in permanent connectionwith the link b, it is not fixed therein, as in the case of the stud 6,but is free to turn. To prevent a fixture of the stud f in the rivetingoperation, we prefer to form in the reduced projecting end of the stud agroove 1), Fig. 7, just outside of the face of the link, to prevent thepivotal shank b from.

swelling and binding in its perforation, and so the head 19 may beformed on the stud, pivot, or pin fand be broughtclose to the outside ofthe link I) to prevent any lengthwise movement of the said stud in saidlink without the parts being clamped in fixed relation'one with theother.

The side links 0 d at the opposite sides of the blocks or links a a fromthe links I) and the stud or pin ends entering the same are of peculiarconstruction and permit an easy and quick detachment of parts while inservice and produce a neat finish devoid of catching projections andsecure an arrangement of parts not liable to be prematurely detached onepart from another.

The pivots or pins of each set are formed as shown more clearly in Figs.3, at, and '7,

where the pin 6 at its detachable end is reduced in diameter to form ashoulder e, against which the inner face of the side link 0 impinges,and a pivotal bearing 6 of about the length of the thickness of saidlink 0.

Outside of the bearing e the stud c is further reduced, as at 6 formingan annular groove 6 of the width of the key-link d. At the extremity ofthe stud the same is provided with a head e adapted to project over theoutside of the key-link a distance sufficient to hold said key-linkagainst the outer side of the link 0, as will be hereinafter described.

The end of the rotary stud f opposite the plate I) is also of peculiarconstruction, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Said stud f is reduced, as at fto form a shoulderf, the reduced partf also being of a length equal tothe thickness of the link a. At its extremity it is provided with across-head f of greater length than the width, as indicated in Fig. 3.

The side links 0 d are each removable from the studsor pins 6 f topermit a broken part in the chain to be quickly replaced, and to this'end the link 0 at one end is perforated, as at c, Fig. 6, to nicely fitthe reduced hearing 6 of the stud e and at the other end is providedwith a closed longitudinal slot 0 to pass over the cross-head f and lieupon the reduced bearing f Said link 0 having been placed on the studsef, the same is held thereon first by turning the cross-head f whichthus fastens said link 0 against any lateral displacement. It is alsofastened at its opposite end by the key-link d, which at its ends isprovided with a closed keyhole-slot d, or a slot larger at one end thanat the other, and a transverse closed slot 01 fitting on the transversehead f The key-link is placed over the head e the latter passing throughthe larger end of the slot d, and is drawn lengthwise, so that thebearing e passes into the small end of the keyhole-slot and the head epresses against the outside face of the keylink, holding the latteragainst the link 0. The end having the transverse slot 01 then springsdown over the cross-head f thus locking the stud f against turning fromits locked relation to the link 0. When in this position. the kev-linkbearing hard on both the studs e f takes the strain of the sprocketsbearing on the studs, so that said studs are held in proper relativeposition. The spring power of the key-link is sufficient to hold saidspring at its free end in locking relation to the cross-head while thechain is undergoing its power-transmitting operations, but issufficiently flexible to permit of its being easily raised over thecross-head f when the parts are to be dissociated.

By the construction described it will be noticed that there are no openslots such as would produce catching projections on the chain, and thechain presents to view no unsightly parts tending to render the chainobjectionable in the market.

In operating the device to effect a separation of parts the key-link isfirst raised at its free end away from the cross-head of the stud f andis then pushed lengthwise to bring the stud 6 into the enlargement ofthe slot d,-

when the said key-link is easily removed. Then the stud f is turned tobring the crosshead into alinement with the slot 0 after which the link0 is free to be drawn off from the studs.

It is intended that the wheelman shall be supplied with a set of partscomposing the chain, and in the event of the chain being broken thebroken part can be readily removed and replaced with facility.

Having thus described the invention, what We claim as new is- 1. In asprocket-wheel chain, the combination with blocks a, a, of side linksI), I), each having studs attached thereto, one of said studs beingpivotally movable in said side link and provided with a cross-head andreduced bearing and the other of said studs being provided with areduced bearing 6 a further reduced bearing 6 and a head e side links 0,each havinga perforation c, and 1on gitudinal slot 0 and key-links eachhaving a keyhole-slot d, and a transverse slot d all said parts beingarranged and operating, substantially as set forth.

2. In a sprocket-wheel chain, the combination with the blocks a, a, ofside links Z), Z), and c, c, and studs 6, f, having heads 6 f andkey-links each of which is provided at one end with a closedlongitudinal keyholeslot and at the other with a closed transverse slot,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsthis 6th day of October, 1898.

DAVID ROSS BERRY.

WILLIAM P. BONNELL, JR. Vitnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, O. B. PITNEY.

